A large number of chronic and acute conditions have been recognized to be associated with perturbation of the inflammatory response. A large number of cytokines participate in this response, including IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF. It appears that the activity of these cytokines in the regulation of inflammation rely at least in part on the activation of an enzyme on the cell signaling pathway, a member of the MAP kinase family generally known as p38 and alternatively known as CSBP and RK. This kinase is activated by dual phosphorylation after stimulation by physiochemical stress, treatment with lipopolysaccharides or with proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF. Therefore, inhibitors of the kinase activity of p38 are useful anti-inflammatory agents.
PCT applications WO98/06715, WO98/07425, and WO 96/40143, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe the relationship of p38 kinase inhibitors with various disease states. As mentioned in these applications, inhibitors of p38 kinase are useful in treating a variety of diseases associated with chronic inflammation. These applications list rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid spondylitis, osteoarthritis, gouty arthritis and other arthritic conditions, sepsis, septic shock, endotoxic shock, Gram-negative sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, asthma, adult respiratory distress syndrome, stroke, reperfusion injury, CNS injuries such as neural trauma and ischemia, psoriasis, restenosis, cerebral malaria, chronic pulmonary inflammatory disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, silicosis, pulmonary sarcosis, bone fracture healing, bone resorption diseases such as osteoporosis, soft tissue damage, graft-versus-host reaction, Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and pyresis.
The above-referenced PCT applications disclose compounds which are p38 kinase inhibitors said to be useful in treating these disease states. These compounds are either imidazoles or are indoles substituted at the 3- or 4-position with a piperazine ring linked through a carboxamide linkage. Additional compounds which are conjugates of piperazines with indoles are described as insecticides in WO97/26252, also incorporated herein by reference.
Certain aroyl/phenyl-substituted piperazines and piperidines which inhibit p38-α kinase are described in PCT publication WO00/12074 published 9 Mar. 2000. In addition, indolyl substituted piperidines and piperazines which inhibit this enzyme are described in PCT publication No. WO99/61426 published 2 Dec. 1999. Carbolene derivatives of piperidine and piperazine as p38-α inhibitors are described in PCT/US00/07934 filed 24 Mar. 2000.
A genus of compounds focused on particular substituents on an indole-derived moiety, again linked through piperidines or piperazines to an aromatic system is described in PCT publication WO 00/71535 published 30 Nov. 2000. The contents of this publication are incorporated herein by reference.